Mudgalapurana 2.31: parāśarasutotpattikathanaṃ nāmaikatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

2.31.p1

śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ ||

Homage to the glorious Gaṇeśa.

2.31.1

dakṣa uvāca |
ko'sau gajāsuro nāmnā daityaḥ paramadāruṇaḥ |
vada tasya caritraṃ me vadhaparyantamuttamam ||

Dakṣa said: / Who is this Daitya named Gajāsura, exceedingly dreadful? / Relate to me his excellent story up to his slaying,

2.31.2

yadarthe gaṇarājo'yaṃ muniputro'bhavatprabho |
tanna mudgala sāmānyaṃ dhanyaṃ janmāsurasya ca ||

for whose sake this Gaṇarāja became the sage's son, O Lord. / That is no ordinary matter, O Mudgala, and blessed is the birth of the asura.

2.31.3

sūta uvāca |
dakṣasya vacanaṃ ramyaṃ śrutvā yogīndrasattamaḥ |
jagāda sakalaṃ tasya ceṣṭitaṃ daityapasya vai ||

Sūta said: / Hearing Dakṣa's pleasant words, that best among supreme yogins / recounted all the deeds of that Daitya king.

2.31.4

mudgala uvāca |
śṛṇu dakṣa purāvṛttamitihāsaṃ vadāmi tam |
pāpapraśamanaṃ pūrṇaṃ bhuktimuktiphalapradam ||

Mudgala said: / Listen, Dakṣa, to the ancient event; I shall tell that history, / which completely pacifies sin and grants the fruit of enjoyment and liberation.

2.31.5

mahiṣāsuranāśaṃ ca cakāra jagadambikā |
tasya putro mahātejā gajāsura iti smṛtaḥ ||

The Mother of the Universe destroyed Mahiṣāsura; / his son of great splendour was known as Gajāsura.

2.31.6

piturvadhena santapto devānāṃ vadhakāṅkṣayā |
śukropadiṣṭamantreṇa śaṅkarārādhane rataḥ ||

Afflicted by the slaying of his father, and desiring to slay the gods, / he devoted himself to the worship of Śaṅkara with the mantra taught by Śukra.

2.31.7

tatāpa sa tapo ghoraṃ nirāhārasamanvitaḥ |
pañcākṣaravidhānena toṣayāmāsa śaṅkaram ||

He performed terrible asceticism, taking no food; / according to the ritual of the five-syllable [mantra], he satisfied Śaṅkara.

2.31.8

daśavarṣasahasraistu prasanno'bhūcchivaḥ svayam |
āyayau taṃ varaṃ dātuṃ gajāsuratapovane ||

After ten thousand years, Śiva himself was pleased; / he came to Gajāsura's penance grove to grant him a boon.

2.31.9

kāṣṭhavatsaṃsthitaṃ daityaṃ dṛṣṭvā vismayamāgataḥ |
jagāda taṃ svabhaktaṃ vai śaṅkaraḥ karuṇānidhiḥ ||

Seeing the Daitya standing like a piece of wood, he was filled with wonder; / Śaṅkara, the ocean of compassion, spoke indeed to his devotee.

2.31.10

śiva uvāca |
varaṃ varaya mattastvaṃ gajāsura mahāmate |
tapasā parituṣṭo'haṃ tava dāsyāmi durlabham ||

Śiva said: / Choose a boon from me, O highly intelligent Gajāsura; / I am greatly pleased by your asceticism, and I shall grant what is hard to attain.

2.31.11

śaṅkarasya vacaḥ śrutvā harṣayukto mahāsuraḥ |
upacāraiḥ ṣoḍaśabhiḥ praṇamyāpūjayacchivam ||

Hearing Śaṅkara's words, the great asura was filled with joy; / bowing down, he worshipped Śiva with the sixteen forms of service.

2.31.12

atharvaśirasā śambhuṃ tuṣṭāvāsuranāyakaḥ |
varaṃ vavre mahākrūraṃ tacchruṇuṣva prajāpate ||

With the Atharvaśiras, the leader of the asuras praised Śambhu; / he chose a most cruel boon; hear it, O Prajāpati.

2.31.13

gajāsura uvāca |
yadi tuṣṭo'si deveśa varaṃ dehi maheśvara |
brahmāṇḍavāsinaḥ sarve tebhyo mṛtyurna me bhavet ||

Gajāsura said: / If you are pleased, O lord of gods, grant a boon, O Maheśvara: / let there be no death for me from any dwellers of the cosmic egg.

2.31.14

rājyaṃ brahmāṇḍagolasya dehi sāmarthyamuttam |
sarvātigaṃ maheśāna nānyaṃ yāce paraṃ varam ||

Grant supreme power and sovereign rule over the sphere of the cosmic egg, / surpassing all, O Maheśāna; I ask for no other supreme boon.

2.31.15

tatheti tamuvācātha śivoṃ'tardhānago'bhavat |
harṣayukto mahādaityastato gehaṃ samāyayau ||

Saying “So be it,” Śiva then disappeared; / filled with joy, the great Daitya then returned home.

2.31.16

mātrā sammānitaḥ so'pi suhṛdbhiśca gajāsuraḥ |
daityāḥ samāyayuḥ sarve gṛhe tasya mahātmanaḥ ||

Honoured by his mother and his friends, Gajāsura / was visited by all the Daityas who gathered at the house of that great-souled one.

2.31.17

svayaṃ gatvā guruṃ śukramānayāmāsa daityapaḥ |
tato munigaṇaiḥ sārdhamabhiṣekaṃ cakāra saḥ ||

Going in person, the ruler of the Daityas brought his guru Śukra; / then he performed his consecration along with the hosts of sages.

2.31.18

daityānāṃ dānavāṃ ca rājābhūt sa gajāsuraḥ |
tairyuktaḥ pṛthivīṃ jitvā yayau svargaṃ mahābalaḥ ||

That Gajāsura became the king of Daityas and Dānavas; / joined by them and of great strength, having conquered the earth, he marched to heaven.

2.31.19

devāḥ palāyitāḥ sarve jñātvā krūraṃ gajāsuram |
śaṅkaraṃ te samāśritya sthitāḥ sarve bhayāturāḥ ||

Knowing Gajāsura to be cruel, all the gods fled; / taking refuge with Śaṅkara, they all remained afflicted with fear.

2.31.20

daityaiḥ samāvṛtaḥ so'pi kailāsamagamattataḥ |
śaṅkaraḥ krodhasaṃyuktastaṃ yayau devasaṃvṛtaḥ ||

Surrounded by Daityas, he then went to Kailāsa; / filled with anger, Śaṅkara went forth to meet him, surrounded by the gods.

2.31.21

yuddhāya śaṅkaraṃ tenāgataṃ jñātvā mahāsuraḥ |
svayaṃ sainyaṃ puraskṛtyāyayau raṇavidhitsayā ||

Knowing that Śaṅkara had arrived to fight, the great asura, / placing his army at the front, advanced himself, wishing to do battle.

2.31.22

devānāṃ dānavānāṃ ca yuddhaṃ paramadāruṇam |
sañjātaṃ ca tato daityāḥ palāyanaparā yayuḥ ||

A most terrible battle took place between the gods and the Dānavas; / and then the Daityas turned and fled.

2.31.23

taṃ dṛṣṭvā krodhasaṃyukto gajadaityaḥ pratāpavān |
bāṇavṛṣṭiṃ mahogrāṃ sa sasarja suranāśinīm ||

Seeing that, the mighty elephant-Daitya was filled with rage; / he loosed a most fierce shower of arrows, destroying the gods.

2.31.24

bāṇairnipatitāstasya devāḥ sarve dharātale |
chinnāṅgā maraṇaprāyāḥ pralayaṃ menire tadā ||

Felled on the surface of the earth by his arrows, all the gods, / with severed limbs and nearly dead, thought the cosmic dissolution had arrived.

2.31.25

indrādayaśca dikpālāḥ patitā bāṇapīḍitāḥ |
gadayā viṣṇumahanat so'pi bhūtalamāśritaḥ ||

Indra and the other guardians of the directions fell, afflicted by arrows; / with his mace he struck Viṣṇu, who also sank to the surface of the earth.

2.31.26

tataḥ krodhasamāyuktaḥ śaṅkaraḥ śūlamādade |
tenāhanan mahādaityaṃ pralayāgnisamena saḥ ||

Then, filled with rage, Śaṅkara seized his trident; / with it, which was like the fire of cosmic dissolution, he struck the great Daitya.

2.31.27

khaṃ. 2 a. 31 pāna 65) triśūlena hataḥ so'pi na cacāla surādhipaḥ |
varadānaprabhāveṇa śastrāṇi vyarthatāṃ yayuḥ ||

Struck by the trident, that lord of the asuras did not even stir; / by the power of the boon granted, weapons proved futile.

2.31.28

sahasāgatya daityeśo dhṛtvā pādaṃ prahasya vai |
bhrāmayitvā maheśānaṃ cikṣepa raṇamūrdhani ||

Swiftly coming forward, laughing, the lord of Daityas seized his foot; / whirling Maheśāna around, he threw him down in the forefront of the battle.

2.31.29

tato devagaṇāḥ sarve palāyanaparāyaṇāḥ |
yayurdaśa diśo rakṣo daityasantrāsatāpitāḥ ||

Then all the hosts of gods, intent on flight, / fled to the ten directions, tormented by dread of the Daitya.

2.31.30

daityo'pi śivalokaṃ taṃ daityaiḥ saha samāyayau |
sthāpayāmāsa devānāṃ padeṣu śreṣṭhadānavān ||

The Daitya too, together with the Daityas, came to that realm of Śiva; / he installed foremost Dānavas in the positions of the gods.

2.31.31

vikuṇṭhādipadeṣvete sthitāstena sumānitāḥ |
svargabhogakarāḥ sarve kṛtā daityāḥ surāriṇā ||

Highly honoured by him, they were established in the stations such as Vaikuṇṭha; / all the Daityas were made by that enemy of the gods to enjoy the pleasures of heaven.

2.31.32

kailāse saṃharaṃ daityaṃ sthāpayāmāsa vīryavān |
svayaṃ samāgato dakṣa pṛthivyāṃ daityapairvṛtaḥ ||

The powerful one installed the Daitya Saṃhara on Kailāsa; / he himself, O Dakṣa, surrounded by the rulers of Daityas, returned to the earth.

2.31.33

mahiṣākhyapure duṣṭaḥ saṃsthito daityapaiḥ saha |
cakāra so'tulaṃ rājyaṃ trailokyasya mahābalaḥ ||

Residing in the city named Mahiṣa together with the Daitya chiefs, / that wicked, mighty one exercised matchless dominion over the three worlds.

2.31.34

gate bahutare kāle devāḥ sarve bhayāturāḥ |
parvatāntarasaṅguptāḥ saṃsthitā abhavan dvijaiḥ ||

When a very long time had passed, all the gods, afflicted with fear, / remained hidden inside mountains together with the twice-born.

2.31.35

vicāramakhilāścakrurgajāsuravadhāya te |
tatra viṣṇurjagādedaṃ vacanaṃ sarvatoṣadam ||

They all deliberated on the slaying of Gajāsura; / there Viṣṇu spoke these words, which brought satisfaction to all:

2.31.36

viṣṇuruvāca |
brahmāṇḍavāsino ye vai tebhyo mṛtyurna vidyate |
daityasya varadānena tena sarve parājitāḥ ||

Viṣṇu said: / Those who dwell within the cosmic egg cannot cause him death / because of the Daitya's boon; by that power all have been defeated.

2.31.37

svānandalokagaḥ sākṣādgaṇeśo devanāyakaḥ |
brahmāṇḍavarjito brahma tasmāttasya mṛtirbhavet ||

Gaṇeśa, the leader of the gods, resides in Svānandaloka directly; / he is Brahman, beyond the cosmic egg; through him alone his death shall occur.

2.31.38

atastaṃ devadeveśaṃ tapasā puṣkalena vai |
sarva ārādhayāmaiva devāḥ sarṣigaṇāḥ param ||

Therefore, by abundant asceticism let us all— / the gods together with the hosts of sages—propitiate that supreme Lord of the lords of gods.

2.31.39

sa hatvā taṃ mahādaityaṃ pradāsyati padāni vaḥ |
hitaṃ yadi surāḥ kāryaṃ vacanaṃ me sukhapradam ||

Having slain that great Daitya, he will restore your stations to you, / if, O gods, my beneficial and happiness-bestowing words are carried out.

2.31.40

viṣṇorvacanamākarṇya devā munigaṇāstathā |
sādhusādhviti tatrocurbabhustapasi saṃsthitāḥ ||

Hearing the words of Viṣṇu, the gods and the hosts of sages / said, “Excellent! Excellent!” and engaged in asceticism.

2.31.41

kecin mantrajapaṃ cakruḥ kecinnāmajapaṃ tathā |
kecin mānasapūjāyāṃ niratāśca babhūvire ||

Some performed the repetition of mantras, and some the repetition of names; / some became devoted to mental worship.

2.31.42

kecid dhyānaṃ gaṇeśasya cakruḥ kecit stutiṃ vibhoḥ |
nirāhāraṃ tathā kecidvāyupatrādibhakṣakāḥ ||

Some meditated upon Gaṇeśa; some offered praise to the all-pervading Lord; / some abstained from food, while others subsisted on air, leaves, and the like.

2.31.43

keciddhomaṃ ca pañcāgniṃ dhūmrapānaṃ tathā'pare |
ityādi tapasā devaṃ toṣayāmāsurādarāt ||

Some performed oblations and the five-fire penance, while others inhaled smoke; / by such ascetic practices they reverently satisfied the God.

2.31.44

śatavarṣe tu teṣāṃ vai prādurbhūto gajānanaḥ |
puratastānuvācedaṃ vacanaṃ bhaktavatsalaḥ ||

After a hundred years, Gajānana manifested to them; / standing before them, he who is affectionate to his devotees spoke these words:

2.31.45

gaṇeśa uvāca |
devāśca munayaḥ sarve varaṃ brūta hṛdīpsitam |
durlabhaṃ tvapi taddāsye tapasā toṣito bhṛśam ||

Gaṇeśa said: / O gods and all you sages, declare the boon desired in your hearts; / though it be hard to obtain, I shall grant it, for I am greatly pleased by your asceticism.

2.31.46

gaṇeśavacanaṃ śrutvā dṛṣṭvā devaṃ puraḥsthitam |
praṇemurmunayo devā daṇḍavat pṛthivītale ||

Hearing Gaṇeśa's words and seeing the God standing before them, / the sages and gods prostrated like a staff on the surface of the earth.

2.31.47

parayā'pūjayan bhaktyā brahmeśaṃ brahmabhāvitāḥ |
tuṣṭuvuḥ samprahṛṣṭāśca saromāñcāḥ prajāpate ||

Filled with the contemplation of Brahman, with supreme devotion they worshipped the Lord who is Brahman; / and overjoyed, with hair standing on end, they praised him, O Prajāpati.

2.31.48

devarṣaya ūcuḥ |
namo namo gaṇeśāya gaṇapālakamūrtaye |
gaṇarūpeṇa sarvatra saṃsthitāya namo namaḥ ||

The divine sages said: / Salutations, salutations to Gaṇeśa, whose form protects the hosts; / salutations, salutations to him who abides everywhere in the form of the hosts!

2.31.49

mūṣakārūḍhakāyaivānādirūpāya te namaḥ |
ākārādivihīnāyākārirūpāya te namaḥ ||

Salutations to you mounted on a mouse, whose nature is without beginning; / salutations to you who are free from bodily form and the like, yet possess every form!

2.31.50

herambāya namastubhyaṃ bhaktasaṃrakṣakāya ca |
bhaktavatsalabhāvāya vighneśāya namo namaḥ ||

Homage to you, Heramba, and to the protector of devotees! / Homage, homage to Vighneśa, whose nature is loving toward his devotees!

2.31.51

namastubhyaṃ siddhipate siddhidātre ca ḍhuṇḍhaye |
buddhidātre dhiyaḥ pātre sarvāntaścāriṇe namaḥ ||

Homage to you, Lord of perfection, giver of perfection, and to Ḍhuṇḍhi! / Homage to the giver of intellect, the vessel of thought, who moves within all!

2.31.52

svānandapataye tubhyaṃ svasaṃvedyāya te namaḥ |
yogarūpāya śāntāya yogānāṃ pataye namaḥ ||

Homage to you, Lord of Svānanda, known only to yourself! / Homage to you whose form is yoga, who are peaceful, the Lord of yogas!

2.31.52.p1

ādimadhyāntahīnāya kartre hartre namo namaḥ |
(

Homage, homage to the creator and destroyer, devoid of beginning, middle, and end, / (

2.31.53

khaṃ. 2 a. 32 pāna 66) pālakāya tribhirhīnaguṇeśāya namo namaḥ ||

[Khaṇḍa 2, Adhyāya 32, Page 66]) to the protector, homage, homage to the Lord of the [three] qualities, free from the three [qualities]!

2.31.54

vakratuṇḍāya devāya lambodaradharāya ca |
sarveṣāṃ hṛdi saṃsthāya vināyaka namo'stu te ||

To the god Vakratuṇḍa, and to the bearer of a pot-belly, / abiding in the hearts of all, homage to you, Vināyaka!

2.31.55

yaṃ stotuṃ na samarthāśca vedāḥ sāṅgāḥ kadācana |
vayaṃ tatra ca ke deva vedairjñānadharā yataḥ ||

Whom even the Vedas with their limbs are never able to praise, / who then are we in this regard, O Lord, since our knowledge is held only through the Vedas?

2.31.56

evaṃ stutvā gaṇeśānaṃ petuste tasya pādayoḥ |
dhṛtvā manasi tadrūpaṃ bhaktibhāvena yantritāḥ ||

Having thus praised the Lord Gaṇeśa, they fell at his feet, / holding that form in their minds, constrained by the sentiment of devotion.

2.31.57

punarutthāya te sarve tamūcurbhayavihvalāḥ |
kṛtāṃ'jalipuṭā devaṃ gaṇeśaṃ sarvanāyakam ||

Rising again, all of them, agitated with fear, / with folded hands said to the god Gaṇeśa, the leader of all:

2.31.58

yadi tuṣṭo'si deveśa jahi daityaṃ gajāsuram |
padabhraṣṭā vayaṃ tena kṛtāḥ karmavivarjitāḥ ||

"If you are pleased, O Lord of gods, slay the Daitya Gajāsura! / By him we have been cast down from our stations and deprived of our rites.

2.31.59

bhaktiṃ te dehi vighneśa sarvaduḥkhavināśinīm |
eṣa eva varosmābhirvāñchito dviradānana ||

Grant us your devotion, O Vighneśa, which destroys all sorrow! / This indeed is the boon desired by us, O elephant-faced one!"

2.31.60

devarṣīṇāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā bhaktavatsalabhāvataḥ |
uvāca tān gaṇādhyakṣo harṣayan vacanaṃ śubham ||

Hearing the words of the divine sages, out of his loving disposition toward devotees, / Gaṇādhyakṣa spoke to them auspicious words, bringing them joy:

2.31.61

gajāsuravadhaṃ devā munayaśca suduṣkaram |
tathāpi bhavatāṃ vākyāt kariṣye'haṃ na saṃśayaḥ ||

"The slaying of Gajāsura, O gods and sages, is very difficult to do; / even so, at your word I shall do it, without a doubt.

2.31.62

madīyā bhaktiracalā bhaviṣyati sudurlabhā |
parāśarasya putro'haṃ bhaviṣyāmi vadhāya vai ||

Devotion to me, very hard to attain, shall become unwavering. / I shall indeed become the son of Parāśara for his destruction.

2.31.63

bhavatkṛtamidaṃ stotraṃ mama prītivivardhanam |
bhuktimuktipradaṃ pūrṇaṃ bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ ||

This hymn of praise composed by you increases my delight; / it will grant enjoyment and liberation completely, without a doubt.

2.31.64

paṭhatāṃ śṛṇvatāṃ viprā devāḥ sarvārthasiddhidam |
duḥkhaghnaṃ satataṃ teṣāṃ bhaviṣyati subuddhidam ||

For those who recite or listen, O Brahmins and gods, it will grant the fulfillment of all aims, / will constantly destroy sorrow, and will bestow excellent intellect."

2.31.65

ityuktvāntardadhe devo gaṇeśaḥ sarvasiddhidaḥ |
vatsalodarago bhūtvā parāśarasuto'bhavat ||

Having spoken thus, the god Gaṇeśa, the giver of all perfections, disappeared. / Entering the womb of Vatsalā, he became the son of Parāśara.

2.31.66

jātakarmādikaṃ sarvaṃ cakāra munisattamaḥ |
brāhmaṇairharṣito bhūtvā patnyā svayamudāradhīḥ ||

The best of sages, of generous mind, performed all the rites, such as the birth ceremonies, / delighted along with his wife and the Brahmins.

2.31.67

sa bālo vavṛdhe tatra harṣayan mātaraṃ nijām |
pitaraṃ ceṣṭitaiḥ svīyairbālakrīḍanakaistathā ||

The child grew up there, delighting his mother / and his father by his actions and childhood play.

2.31.68

pañcame vratabandhaṃ ca cakāra munisattamaḥ |
vedānadhyāpayāmāsa sāṅgāṃstān gaṇapāya ca ||

In his fifth year, the best of sages performed the investiture of the sacred thread, / and taught the Vedas with their limbs to Gaṇapa.

2.31.69

vivāhamakarottasya siddhirbuddhiśca śāśvate |
marīceśca sute jāte datte tena vidhānataḥ ||

He performed his marriage with Siddhi and Buddhi, who are eternal, / born as the two daughters of Marīci and given by him in accordance with rule.

2.31.70

iti te kathitaṃ sarvaṃ parāśarasutasya ca |
caritaṃ gaṇanāthasya daityasya śṛṇu ceṣṭitam ||

2.31.70.c1

oṃ tatsaditi śrīmadāntye purāṇopaniṣadi śrīmanmaudgale mahāpurāṇe dvitīye khaṇḍe ekadantacarite parāśarasutotpattikathanaṃ nāmaikatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ ||